College: First Love
by Peachy Hikaru
Summary: MorixOC mostly, but other characters also make an appearance. This is the first part of the College saga, the others will come soon enough. ;D FINALLY COMPLETE! Lemon in last chappie
1. Prologue

1st day of the school year

**Mori's POV:**

I stepped out of my dorm and stretched. Having just moved into my new dorm, I was more than ready to check out this year's batch of girls. This was more than my normal curiosity as to who my friends and I would be screwing or getting chased by. My previous regular fuck buddy had graduated last year, with first-class honours, of course. With the entire college's female population at my feet, I had the freedom to select only the cream of the crop.

I barely noticed the girls clustered in groups chatting animatedly. Upon seeing me, they fell silent for a moment, before whispering excitedly amongst themselves. My gaze swept over them for a moment… nothing interesting here. My time at the Host Club had rendered me impervious to the flirtatious glances and swoons.

I walked along the quadrangle to my favourite bench. A mature, beautiful tree sheltered it. At this time of year, the leaves would be turning red and yellow, before drifting down peacefully. It was so beautiful.

When I got there, I saw two girls sitting on the bench. One of them I recognized – it was Mitsukuni steady girlfriend, Sakura. The other one…. She looked somewhat similar to Sakura. I tried to remember if she was someone I had heard about before.

"Oh, Takashi-senpai!" Sakura grinned widely when she saw me. From the beginning, our relationship had been purely platonic – Sakura and Mitsukuni were too deeply in love to notice anyone else in a romantic way. Sakura stood up and pulled her companion to her feet too. "Takashi-senpai, this is my little sister Kaori. She'll be in the law faculty, your kouhai!"

Ah… Sakura's sister. I looked at her, my first proper look and… wow. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, but a few strands had fallen out, framing her face charmingly. Her huge green eyes blinked at me. Her eyes… they were beautiful, deep emerald-coloured pools that sparkled oh-so-enticingly from under beautifully arched eyebrows and thick eyelashes. Her nose was classic, and her mouth…

Her mouth was made for sin. Her lips were full and shaped to perfection. When she smiled at me, I caught a glimpse of her perfect white teeth.

In the background, Sakura was saying, "And this is Takashi Morinozuka…"

I would have continued my perusal, but both Sakura and Kaori were gazing at me expectantly. "Pleased to meet you, Kaori," I said formally before taking her hand in mine and bestowing a kiss upon it. Maybe it was more of a Tamaki thing to do, but I really wanted to hold her hand in mine… and maybe a little devil in me wanted to see how she would react. Would she squeal? Swoon, as most girls would? It would be disappointing to see she was so like the others…

She didn't disappoint. She smiled slightly, unfazed. "Pleased to meet you, Morinozuka-senpai…" she said, in her crystal-clear, lilting tone. "Dozo, yoroshiku onegaishimasu," she said politely.

**Kaori's POV**

Well, this is the famous Takashi Morinozuka. Should I be flattered or insulted that he kept staring at me?

I looked up at him… literally. At 1.7m tall, I was already considered tall, but he was… seriously. Wow. Waaaay tall.

From what my sister had told me, I knew he was a national kendo champion. His callused hands didn't do anything to disprove it…

I figured I should probably find out more about him. After all, if Sakura and Hani were as serious in their relationship as it seemed, we would probably be seeing a lot of each other.

Just then, I heard my name being called. "Kaori!" a somewhat familiar voice called. I looked around to see my roommate, Haruhi, yelling and waving. "Well… I guess you better go, Kao-chan!" Sakura said, smiling. "Nice to see you've already made friends!"

I smiled politely at Morinozuka-senpai and hugged my sister. "Bye!" I said, waving at them as I ran towards Haruhi.

"Well, Haruhi, do you know anything about Takashi Morinozuka-senpai?" I asked curiously.

"Well… he's a third year law student. National kendo champion. He's really close to his cousin, Mitsukuni Haninozuka. He's pretty quiet, but he's really popular with the ladies! We were school-mates in Ouran Academy, and we were in the Host Club. I guess we're on pretty good terms…"

"Oh, I see," I said, deep in thought. Takashi Morinozuka was a mystery. And I was determined to solve it.

Well, this is my first fanfic so please R&R! Flames are not appreciated, but constructive criticism is. Please be gentle! xD Rated M for future lemons. (;


	2. Chapter 1

_Ohmanz I just realised that I forgot to include a disclaimer in my prologue! =.= So sorry! So here it is (and I won't repeat it anymore): Ouran High Host Club does not belong to me. It belongs to Bisco Hatori. I own only my OCs. _

_Oh and in future author's notes will be italicised. _

**Sakura's POV**

"Hani! Don't you think Mori and Kaori would look so cute together!" I squealed as I entered his dorm. "I mean, they're both tall – Mori is waaay taller than Kaori of course – and they're both athletic – Mori with kendo and Kaori with her million and one sports-" I rolled my eyes at my sister before continuing. "And they're both doing law! So they're both smart!" I concluded, grinning widely as I stared up at Hani, bouncing lightly on the balls of my feet with excitement.

He laughed and took my hand, drawing me into his room. As a third-year, he had a room all to himself – something we took advantage of often. "Sakura, love, you've forgotten about one minor factor," he told me, smiling slightly. "What! What?" I almost yelled. How could I have forgotten anything in my perfect plan to get them together? "Babe. Kaori and Mori barely know each other. And if what you told me about Kaori still holds true, she hates playboys and heartbreakers… both of which Mori is."

I absorbed that discouraging fact slowly. "Oh," was all I could muster in the face of Hani's very logical, if unwelcome, argument. "But come on! You have to agree! They're like, soul-mates!" I said excitedly, twirling about the room before falling on the bed. "And if Mori would just settle down with her… I know they'd be happy together! They complement each other in so many ways! Like, Mori doesn't say much, but Kaori require him to. She's not the type that talks non-stop and requires her boyfriend to do the same… well, hypothetically."

I sat up and frowned thoughtfully. "Actually, I don't know! She's never had a boyfriend before. I mean, I'm only a year older than her, and you're the only person I've slept with-" I blushed at that, then continued. "But, I mean, she's never had a crush! She's more like the elder sister than I am in that sense, I guess…" I trailed off, frowning guiltily.

Come to think of it, that really was the case. Whenever I came home giggling and excited over a new crush, Kaori was the indulgent elder sister who smiled at me as I rambled on about him… whenever I'd taken the role of big sister, and asked her if there was anyone she liked, she always smiled and said, "No one. Nee-chan, you know I don't exactly have the time to right now," before rattling off a long list of commitments she had.

And that was another thing. She was probably the most involved person in the school society that I knew of in high school! Cheerleading for the boys' soccer team, volleyball, track, a dozen community involvement causes… and despite all that, she still always came in either first or second in every exam, every year… how did she keep up?

As I was pondering that, Hani laughed. "I can see by your expression that you're thinking really hard about something probably totally unrelated to what we were discussing…"

I blushed. "How did you know?"

He sat on the bad, pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. "Babe, I always know." Then, he started to run his lips down the side of my neck, causing chills to run down my spine. "Now, I want you to stop worrying about Kaori and Mori's love life for the minute. There are other things for you to worry about…"

**Hani's POV**

I collapsed on top of Sakura, feeling deliciously replete. It never failed to amaze me how after more than a year, the sex just got better each time. I figured that it must have something to do with how we felt about each other, but whatever it was, I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As I lay in the bed next to Sakura, I mused about how everything had changed since we had graduated from Ouran Academy.

Though I had never told Takashi, I had been just as upset as him that we were going into different faculties in college… something that had probably turned out to be for the best. Without me around, Mori was free… in a sense. Before, he had always been too absorbed in his "duties" to me to chase girls… though I thought he might be over-compensating in that.

My lips quirked, as I tried to hold back a smile. Mori didn't chase girls, they chased him! Tirelessly, I might add.

As for me, in the first year of college, I had finally – finally! – started growing. It had continued into the second year of college, and seemed to have slowed down dramatically now, if not completely stopped. Even if I didn't grow anymore, I was satisfied. I now stood at a respectable 167cm, taller than Sakura at her 160cm. I would never be as tall as Mori, but that was fine with me… 187cm had been way past my fantasies anyway. I was still shorter than Kaori though… dammit! Why did she have to be so damn tall!

Hmm… thinking about Kaori… maybe she would be good for Mori. I looked at Sakura with a small smile. She was just so cute! But she was surprisingly insightful sometimes.

She stirred and rolled closer to me, before opening her eyes. "Hani… what are you thinking about?" she asked me, smiling gently.

I kissed her gently. "I was just thinking about… things. So, Takashi and Kaori, huh. I can see why you'd like that… okay. You have my support. If you can get Kaori to accept Takashi, I take my hat off to you though."

She grinned. "How could you doubt me? Of course I will!"

I pulled her to me and kissed her. I really was blessed to have found Sakura. I only hoped Mori found his true love too.


	3. Chapter 2

**Kaori's POV**

As I walked to the lecture hall where we were to have our first lecture with Haruhi, we were chatting about Haruhi's fiancé, Tamaki. I found it slightly unwise to get engaged so early, but since Haruhi didn't seem like the type of person who would jump into a serious commitment like marriage without giving it a lot of thought, I figured she knew what she was doing.

Just as we were about to enter the lecture hall, I felt something odd. I didn't realise what exactly it was until I turned and realised the corridor had become silent.

I raised my brows at that and looked at Haruhi. "Is there a reason why the corridor looks like time has stopped here and why all the females are swooning?"

Haruhi grinned and nodded towards Morinozuka-senpai. "He showed up. Remember when I told you he was really popular with the ladies? I wasn't kidding. This is normal around Mori-senpai." Morinozuka-senpai seemed to be used to it all too. He ignored the stares and walked past us. "Good morning, Mori-senpai," Haruhi said cheerfully. "Yo," was his one-word answer, before he strolled off, in the direction of the lecture hall, I presumed.

Haruhi seemed unfazed by his abrupt greeting. "Well… that was… short," I said dubiously. Haruhi grinned. "Ah well. That's Mori-senpai. He's a man of few words."

I had to bite back a grin at her understatement. "I'll say."

After the long lecture, we finally stepped out of the lecture hall. "Oh, goddd," I sighed. "That was soooo boring! And what's with the bloody tiny, hard seats! I swear, I've got a kink in my back from that stupid chair."

A tiny girl with long auburn hair walked up to us. "Hi!" she said smiling. "I'm Shana. I think our dorm rooms are next to each other. You guys are in room 456 right?" For some reason, I instantly liked this girl. "Yeah… what room are you in?" I asked as we began walking again. "454. Are ou guys headed back to your dorm room too?" she asked. When Haruhi nodded an affirmative, she said, "Great! I'll follow you guys. To be honest, I'm a little worried about getting lost… this campus is really big," she said, lowering her voice slightly, as if she was telling us a secret.

Really?" I couldn't resist asking. She laughed. "Nope. I walked all over the campus yesterday three times so I wouldn't get lost. Fooled you though, didn't I!" We laughed with her.

We kept up the chatter until we had to part at our door. We watched her disappear into her room after a wave and another smile before continuing into our own room.

**Shana's POV**

As soon as I walked into the room, I hugged myself and bounced, laughing delightedly. I had made some friends! Okay, only two, but still. In high school, I had only had one true friend. She was studying in Oxford, and it got a little lonely sometimes without her, although we emailed loads and tried to chat on Skype as often as possible… still, that wasn't often, as the time difference between here and England was just too large.

She had left last week, to adjust to everything there, and I missed her already.

My gaze darted to the bed next to the one I was lying on, and I sighed. Because there weren't enough female freshmen, my roommate was a sophomore. She had her own clique of friends and had no time for playing nice with a "snot-nosed, childish brat", as she had called me last night, before leaving the room to attend a home-coming party by some third-years.

Because I'd wanted to keep the peace, I had refrained from telling her sweetly that I was nineteen and that she was barely a year older than me, and if I was a snot-nosed childish brat then she was too. I figured she was anyway. A twenty-year-old… calling names? I tsked at her silently and thought, 'What happened to 'fucking bitch'? Seriously… 'snot-nosed, childish brat'? I grew out of that when I was fifteen.'

I pulled my pillow into my arms and hugged it tightly. I could tell that I was going to be spending much of my time in Haruhi and Kaori's dorm room. I hoped they didn't tire of my company.

Just then, the door slammed. I looked up to see none other than my oh-so-high-and-mighty roommate, Chantelle. She sneered at me. "Hello, brat," she spat at me. I rolled my eyes. "Good morning to you too, Chantelle. I trust you slept well last night?" I said sweetly, and gave her what I hoped as a genuine smile, although to be honest, I thought it looked more like a snarl. I figured it was almost impossible to give someone you intensely disliked a sincere-looking smile.

Needing to look away from Chantelle for a moment before I jumped at her and clawed her eyes out, I glanced at the clock.

"Crap! My next lecture is in twenty minutes!" If I didn't haul ass I was so going to be late. I groaned, grabbed my things and all but ran out the door, leaving Chantelle's satisfied smirk behind. I shuddered. :Stuck-up bitch," I muttered under my breath. And I had spent almost an hour moping around thinking. I grimaced. "Bloody waste of brain cells."

"Who is a stuck-up bitch and what was a bloody waste of brain cells?" someone asked suddenly, next to me. "Whoaaaaa!" I exclaimed, almost peeing myself. I whipped around and came face-to-face with a grinning Kaori and a laughing Haruhi. "Oh. My. God. Guys! You scared the shit out of me!" I exclaimed, a maligned look on my face. "We know," they said in unison, before we started walking together again.

"Do we have the same lecture again?" Haruhi asked. We pulled out our class schedules. "Wow! All three of us have the same schedules! Amazing!" Kaori exclaimed.

After it was confirmed that we were heading in the same direction, we starting chatting again. "So, who were you so upset with just now?" Kaori asked. "Oh," I said self-consciously. "My roommate. She's a sophomore. She thinks she's so superior to me because she's a year older." I rolled my eyes. "Her nickname for me is 'snot-nosed, childish brat'." My distaste for the childish slur was reflected in my scathing tone and the sneer I was unable to completely hold back.

"Seriously? What are we, in elementary school?" Haruhi scoffed. We laughed and continued our chatter all the way to the lecture hall.

_So what do you guys think? I'm sorry if my description of this fictional college is totally off, I don't really know how colleges work. Gomen gomen. __**embarrassed titter**__. So yup, the usual, R&R if you wish! And sorry for the late update! And the short chapters, I had exams. The next chapter is going to be longer… I've actually already written it but I usually write by hand so I haven't typed it out and I'm lazy… :/ Exams are over now though, so I'll try to post more regularly! Oh, also, I decided to make this like a saga! :D Hee. There's going to be Sakura and Hani, and also Shana! But I shall not tell you who she winds up with yet… BUT THE STORY'S GOING TO BE SO EPIC~ Bye! (:_


	4. Chapter 3

**Haruhi's POV**

"Ahh, those lectures just don't get any easier, do they," Shana groaned, stretching. I laughed at her. "You're the only one who's still griping about the stupid chairs and mumbling professors after almost a month," I shot back. Kaori laughed at our friendly bantering.

Just then, everyone fell silent. Kaori raised a perfectly arched brow. "Lemme guess. Mori's showed up. God! Don't those girls ever get tired of swooning? If her hasn't noticed them by now, he isn't going to." She rolled her eyes.

Shana laughed. "Girl, not all of us are as invulnerable to his charms like you two. Me, I'd like to get a piece of that hot ass!" She told us.

We glanced at her in askance. "Shana!" Kaori said reprovingly. "Ew! He's fucked so many different girls! Like, a new one every week or something. He probably has a dozen STDs."

I flicked Kaori a droll look. "I doubt he has an STD. Mori isn't an idiot, you know." She rolled her eyes at me. "So he's a man-slut, but he's STD-free! Whoopee!" I laughed at her.

My reasons for not being interested in Mori-senpai were totally different. One, he was like an older brother to me. Just the thought of making out with him sent shivers down my spine- the "EEEW! Get the hell off me!" variety, not the pleasure kind.

Secondly, I was already engaged to Tamaki, whom I loved. And he was more than enough for me… I blushed as I recalled fond memories.

Kaori looked at me and sighed. "Haruhi… are you thinking about Tamaki again?" I blushed even more. "May… maybe." Honestly, she knew me so well after just a month that it was almost creepy.

Just then, Mori walked past us. "Yo," he said to us. I grinned. "Mori-senpai! Honestly, you're going to scare us with that look." But he was barely listening. He was staring at Kaori with so much heat in his gaze that she blushed. But I noticed she was returning his gaze…

So Kaori had a hidden crush on Mori-senpai! And by the looks of it, he liked her back. No wonder she objected to his womanizing so strenuously… but I doubted she was even aware that she liked him.

"Shana, Haruhi, I'm hungry," Kaori said, finally looking away, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. "Can we go grab a bite?" I grinned inwardly. Why not? I was feeling mean anyway.

"Sure Kaori! Mori-senpai, wanna come?" I asked. "Yeah. Okay," he told me. Kaori shot me a venomous glare. It promised dire retribution later. I sweat-dropped.

**Mori's POV**

After Haruhi invited me, Kaori sent her such a venomous glare that I feared for Haruhi. At the same time, I found Kaori's spitfire spirit to be so adorable! I almost laughed at her.

We went to the cafeteria to eat. After we took our food, we sat down. Haruhi was trying her best to start up a conversation.

"So, Mori-senpai. Do you know Shana?" she asked, tittering nervously. Wow. Kaori must be really scary when she's angry if she made Haruhi panic like that with just a glare.

I decided to make it easy for Haruhi. "I don't believe we've met," I said. Haruhi then busied herself with introductions.

I looked at Shana. Although she was pretty, I still found Kaori to be far more beautiful. She seemed to have lost interest in me too. I wondered at that. I had vaguely heard her expressing her interest in me to Haruhi and Kaori… I thought about it for a moment, then cringed inwardly. Had she seen me staring at Kaori? And I had thought that I had been doing it with utmost discretion… still, if she had backed off because of it, I had to respect her for keeping her distance from me after she realised that I wasn't interested in her but in Kaori… she was a really good friend.

While we were eating, an ear-piercing shriek caught our attention. Kaori choked on her food. As I was sitting next to her, I had no choice but to thump her on the back. "Wh-what was that!" she exclaimed after swallowing several gulps of water.

I had the unmistakable sound of high heels running on the tiled floor, and sighed. "Takashi! How could you!" the shrill scream grated on my nerves, but before I could ask her what she was freaking out about, she turned her glare on Kaori.

"You slut!" she hissed at Kaori. "What kind of bitch steals someone else's boyfriend!" Her gaze went a little wild for a moment, before she saw Shana. "What the hell do you think you're doing! I bet you put your little bitch friend to steal my boyfriend, didn't you! Why! I know, it's because you know you're inferior to me, and he obviously wouldn't be interested in you after dating me, isn't it!"

Then her hysterical gaze fell on Kaori again. "You bitch! Slut!" she advanced on Kaori, as if she wanted to slap Kaori. I moved to stop her, but Kaori was fast. As Chantelle's hand pulled back to deliver the blow to Kaori's face, Kaori's arm shot out. She grabbed Chantelle's wrist and twisted her arm. "Who do you think you're calling a bitch and a slut?" she asked sweetly, almost conversationally.

Chantelle burst into tears, trying to pull away from Kaori. "Help! Save me from this violent bitch, please! Baby!"

I was unable to hide my disgust for her. Chantelle, you acted totally without reason or rationale. What made you think you're entitled to come here and interrupt us with your crazy hysterics?"

At my harsh words, she started wailing even louder. Disgusted, Kaori flung her wrist away from her body and stepped back. "Guys… do you know this… person?" she paused before saying 'person', probably searching for the most tactful word possible. I had to respect her for that. I would have just called her 'bloody crazy'. Her arched brow and the disparaging glance she flicked at Chantelle belied her words though…

Shana said wryly, "Guys, meet my exalted roommate Chantelle." I winced. Poor Shana. I added to her words with a flat, "And my ex-girlfriend."

Chantelle's face crumpled. "But _Mori!_ We still have that hot party next week! If you don't escort me, I won't be able to go! Mori, please!"

Did she really think I'd take her back just so she could attend a party? Really. "Should have tried another line, Chantelle. I don't care about your party."

**Kaori's POV**

Wow, that was really harsh. I almost felt sorry for Chantelle. I was vaguely aware that everyone in the canteen was watching, fascinated. By the end of the day, everyone would be talking about it. This was made even worse because Morinozuka-senpai was involved.

But try as I might, I was just unable to dredge up any sympathy for her, because this was the woman who had tried to slap me and called me a slut, not to mention screaming at Shana like some schizophrenic.

Shana suddenly laughed. "Dude! You put her down good!" she exclaimed. I cringed. Chantelle's eyes almost bugged out as she glared at Shana. "Shut up, brat," she sneered.

Oh, so _I'm _the brat! Well, okay," she said. Apparently unable to stand any more, Chantelle ran out of the cafeteria.

I arched a brow at Shana. She shrugged. "Well… you saw how she treats me."

"Ah." If anything I'd seen about Chantelle's behaviour was normal, I could hardly fault Shana for grabbing at any opportunity to insult Chantelle.

"Uh…" Haruhi broke the silence. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm still hungry. That didn't do anything to kill my appetite. If anything, it only whetted it." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry but I really love food!"

Mori smiled slightly, for just a second. "Yeah," he agreed.

I realised I was really hungry and sat down again.

**Mori's POV**

When I sat down next to Kaori, who was already seated, I caught an accidental glimpse of the upper slopes of her generous breasts before sitting down.

BAM. Instant hard-on. I grimaced. My slacks had suddenly become a little tight. I was aching -pardon the bad pun- to reach down and adjust my pants just a little, but fear of getting caught kept my hands from straying.

I risked a quick glance at Kaori and instantly regretted it. Having finished her food, she had moved on to her little slice of cheesecake.

She put her fork in her mouth, then drew it out slowly. Her eyes closed with ecstasy, and she gave a little moan of appreciation. I instantly imagined her with her eyes closed in ecstasy, moaning in delight for an altogether different reason.

I barely resisted the urge to groan as all the blood ran from my brain significantly southward. I doubted I could walk. Even if I could, the bulge in my trousers was like a neon sign blinking away at everyone.

She had finished her cheesecake and now ran her tongue over her lips, trying to catch any stray crumbs. I closed my eyes for a moment, cursing my wayward body.

"Morinozuka-senpai? Are you okay? You look like you're in pain," Kaori said, looking concerned. Oh shit! My dilemma had been discovered.

I smiled half-heartedly. "No, I'm all right…" and tried to wipe the expression of aching lust from my face.

"Oh… okay." She looked dubious, but left it at that. "Senpai… if you don't mind my asking, what was this big party that Chantelle was talking about?"

Chantelle? Party? My lust-fogged brain strained to make sense of her words. "Um… oh. It's Mitsukuni's birthday party. I'm sure you know why Chantelle would want to attend."

I could see understanding dawn on her beautiful face. Of course she would understand why Chantelle would want to attend a big party thrown by a Haninozuka. I wondered what I had seen in Chantelle, other than a pretty face who knew a few sheet-scorching tricks.

"Why would you bring her to a party like _that_?" Shana sounded aghast. I shrugged in response. "I needed a date. She was my girlfriend."

Haruhi frowned. "Well… now you're out a date." I knew she wasn't angling for an invitation, because she wasn't like that. Besides, she was going with Tamaki.

I grimaced. I didn't want to do it, because it would mean getting Sakura and Hani's hopes up. Since Hani and Sakura had gotten together he had been bugging me about finding someone to settle down with.

"Kaori… will you let me escort you to the party?" I asked formally.

"_What? M-me?_" she squealed.

_Oh my goodness. I hope you enjoyed it… I enjoyed writing it but definitely not typing it out. Gosh it was so tedious. Well, the usual, please R&R! I haven't gotten a single review for this story. __**Sobs**__. This is all I've written so far, but I'll start writing soon! (:_


	5. Chapter 4

**Kaori's POV**

_"What? M-me?" _I exclaimed, my eyes practically popping out of my head. I had an unbidden image of them rolling around on the ground looking lost and had to bite back a totally inappropriate laugh.

He looked totally serious. I almost looked around, half expecting someone to jump out and say this was all a joke and point at the camera. "Yes, you."

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Kaori, for heaven's sake! This guy is totally serious. Stop looking like you swallowed a frog. That's just weird."

I coughed. "Are you sure? Seriously?" I said, my voice slightly shaky.

Shana looked annoyed. "For heaven's sake Kaori! It's an invitation to a party that he needs a date for, not a freaking marriage proposal! Just accept already. Seriously, it'll be fun!" she snapped.

Well… when she put it that way… "O-okay," I said shyly. Haruhi grinned. "Well, there you go! Don't worry, I'm going to go with Tamaki."

Oh… Haruhi was going? Well, that made me feel better. "I have to go, Haruhi. I trust you will tell Kaori the details?" he asked. Haruhi smiled. "Of course, Mori-senpai."

His eyes then fell on me with a heated gaze. "I look forward to it, Kaori." I blushed. I couldn't help it. "Y-yes, Morinozuka-senpai. So do I." He put his large hand on my head. I should have been offended at the dog-like pat, but somehow his touch sent heat pooling in the base of my spine. Or… maybe somewhere slightly lower. "One more thing. Call me Mori. Or Takashi. Morinozuka is too distant if you're going to be my date for the party."

With that, he left. I gulped. "Bye… Mori-senpai," I said softly, a heated blush adorning my face.

I stared down at my fists clenched in my lap in embarrassment. When I looked up, Haruhi and Shana were looking at me with undisguised gleams in their eyes. "You like him!" they exclaimed in unison. I fidgeted uncomfortably. "Um… can we maybe continue this later? I think we're going to be late."

They glanced at the clock. "Crap she's right!" I heaved a premature sigh of relief – they immediately glanced at me again, with eyes that looked scary. I shrank back in my seat. "We're continuing this, Kaori. Don't you think that we're done." I gulped.

**Mori's POV**

As I strolled out of the cafeteria, appearing nonchalant to anyone who cared to glance at me, my innards were churning with a mixture of happiness and horror.

Happiness because – well, I no longer had a whiny Chantelle to put up with, and I was going to Mitsukuni's party with Kaori. Why that would excite me, I wasn't aware, but for some reason, I couldn't wait for the party.

At the same time, I was horrified. What had I been thinking? I was going to a party with a girl I couldn't be around for five minutes without springing a giant boner. To aggravate matters, this party was Mitsukuni's and Sakura would be there. My heart filled with dread. They would probably try to match-make us. And I couldn't even satiate my lust for Kaori, because Sakura would find out, then she would tell Mitsukuni. I cringed. Then I wondered if my lust for Kaori could even be satiated. What I had felt just now had gone to the bone, a searing heat I had never felt before.

I sighed. Well, it couldn't be helped now. I had invited her and she had accepted. Despite the possibly disastrous repercussions, I had to admit that I was happy and excited to be going with her.

Besides, I thought as I looked back before exiting the cafeteria, out of the two of us, I had probably gotten the better situation. Shana and Haruhi were leaning towards Kaori, evil gleams in their eyes. I winced and beat a hasty path out of there before they turned towards me – but now before Kaori shot me a glare.

I winced. She really was scary! Now I knew why Haruhi had been so terrified of Kaori just now.

What an interesting girl. Most of the chicks I'd hung out with had simpered and fawned over me, but Kaori – Kaori pushed back, challenged me, unfazed, undaunted. It was probably the first time a girl had done that to me, with the possible exception of Haruhi… but Haruhi had never made me feel like Kaori did!

Come to think of it, what was it that Kaori made me feel? It was an alien sensation, something that made me feel vulnerable and delighted at the same time… similar to what I felt for Mitsukuni, yet all too different. Could it be-?

**Sakura's POV**

Wow! I had to restrain myself from jumping and laughing in glee. Takashi-senpai had finally gotten rid of that horrid stuck-up bitch Chantelle! Although Chantelle was in the same year as me, I couldn't, by any stretch of the imagination, say that I liked her. She was too snobby, too plastic – fake boobs, fake hair, fake nails, and I was certain she had 'Made in China' stamped on her ass – too Barbie, too giggly, everything. She was the totally stereotypical bimbo girlfriend that Takashi-senpai always went for. I hated those girls with a passion. I felt that they were a disgrace to women, portraying us as dumb, useless eye candy.

Kaori, on the other hand… I grinned at the thought. Fiercely independent, loyal to a fault, and she rarely went to parties. She was the total opposite to Chantelle. She was athletic, intelligent, and got along with just about anyone, unlike girls like Chantelle, who only socialised with people whom they thought were 'cool' and 'hip'. Gossip and fashion magazines were all that the girl probably read. While I couldn't claim that neither Kaori nor I had ever read one of those, and the both of us certainly never read classics like Pride and Prejudice and Huckleberry Finn, we both enjoyed a novel once in a while.

I felt sure that Kaori and Takashi would be happy together, but they were both so stubborn! They just needed a push, that extra incentive… a plan began formulating in my mind.

_Oh man, another really short chapter I'm so sorry! D: But you must forgive me, this is my first story. Another thing I'm really happy about is that I finally got 2 reviews, and yes one is from one of my good friends, but the other one was really nice! And from someone I don't know! So, yay! Haha. :D And it's partially the reason why I posted a new chapter so fast, I was intrinsically motivated by the review! ;) __**hint hint**__ Okay I'm sure that you guys don't want to read the boring author's notes, and I'm sorry but I just like to ramble okay! D: Yup so just bear with me! Chapter 5 should be longer. :D_


	6. Chapter 5

**Kaori's POV**

The next few days passed by relatively quickly – till the weekend. On Saturday morning, Shana and Haruhi woke me up at six in the morning. When they woke me up by shaking me unceremoniously, I groaned, shook free of their grasp and snuggled deeper into my bed. Then they grabbed my duvet and yanked it off me. No reaction. Shana, vindictive girl that she was, grabbed a cup, went to the sink and filled it with cold water. She dumped the entire cup on me. I sat up with a gasp.

"What the hell did you do that for!" I all but screamed at her. She shook her head at me. "Girl, the party is in a week. I'm willing to bet you don't know squat about which fork, knife or spoon to use, and how not to make a total embarrassment of yourself."

I winced. She had me there. Still… "And you and Haruhi are going to teach me everything I know?" I said skeptically. Shana laughed. "Girl, you're mean when you're sleepy."

"And forgetful," Haruhi added. "I had the Host Club to teach me all that stuff, and Shana has a good background, remember?"

Well, that was true enough. I couldn't argue with any of that. Still… "Can't we do all that at a more godly hour? I have a golden rule, you know. I don't get up until the sun does." Shana tsked again. "We're going shopping for your dress when the shops open. I'm willing to bet everything I own that you don't have a dress to wear."

I pouted. "Fine." I gave in with a sigh.

Over the next two days, I learned everything there was to learn about etiquette, both social and eating. I also tried on so many dresses that the colour, cut and fabric all became a blur in my mind. Still… we just couldn't seem to find the one that would just fit so well on me…

Finally, just when we were about to admit defeat on Sunday evening, we finally stumbled upon a little shop tucked into a corner that had the most beautiful dress. It was black and made of a luxurious silk, yet was not so thick that it was stifling. The skirt stopped just above my knee, and when I walked, it swirled around me like water. It was strapless and hugged my figure perfectly. A thin red ribbon around the waist showed it off to perfection.

All of stared at my reflection in the mirror. Even the salesgirl, who had been chattering non-stop about the exquisite quality of the dress shut up for a moment. Finally, Shana dragged her jaw off the ground. "Kaori, you are so getting that dress. Pay for it and we'll get shoes."

Haruhi nodded. "Tamaki gave me this exquisite earring-and-necklace set that will match this dress perfectly! It's ruby, and not too extravagant. You'll be the belle of the ball."

I blushed. I wasn't used to so much praise. I changed back into my jeans and paid for the dress.

As it turned out, there was a perfect pair of shoes in the shop next door. They were a pair of strappy high-heeled sandals that showed off my legs. Looking at them in the mirror, I was ridiculously pleased that I had been so athletic in my high school years.

They weren't even that uncomfortable, because instead of a dangerously fragile stiletto heel, it was a chunky one that managed to give support to my calf and look good at the same time.

There was only one problem – the price. I groaned as we left the mall with numerous bags. "This party thing is so hard. My credit cards are so going to be cancelled when my parents see the stupid bill. I'm going to live on cup noodles for months."

On Monday, we were plunged back into the real world – the one where we had like a ton of classes and had no opportunity to discuss the upcoming party at all. We did insist that Shana come along though. Haruhi and I felt that Shana absolutely had to go! Shana had protested, of course, but, as Haruhi had pointed out, she would probably meet some really nice people, and besides, how could only two-thirds of the three musketeers, as we'd been dubbed, go to any party without the last musketeer? Shana finally caved.

One thing I was extraordinarily grateful for was that they seemed to have totally forgotten about that little episode about my feelings for Mori, temporarily anyway. It gave me a bit more time to get my thoughts organized. What had happened back there? When he had asked me, everything had totally slipped my mind. I had been so shocked, and though I hadn't realized it at the time, I had been happy. And what did that mean? I couldn't be in love with Mori… right? He was a playboy man-slut.

Yet he'd been so nice to me, and I could see from how he acted around Haruhi that he might not be a mindless sex machine after all.

Could I really be in love with Mori-senpai? What did love feel like anyway? I didn't know, which was really pathetic. In high school, when everyone had been falling in and out of love with alarming regularity, I had been doing everything else – track, volleyball, you name it, I'd done it.

But now I found myself at an amazing disadvantage… when everyone was so knowledgeable about these matters by now, I was just beginning, unsure and afraid. And the person I'd chosen – though subconsciously – to run my trial-and-error on was Mori-senpai, who was probably a guru when it came to matters of the heart and in the bedroom. I hadn't even had my first kiss! Who knew how it would go when – or if – we actually got to the bedroom!

I snorted derisively at myself. How had I managed to get so far ahead of myself? For all I knew, he was merely using me as a date for that party, and I was just allowing my runaway imagination to freak me out again.

**Mori's POV**

As the date of the party drew near, I found myself awaiting it with an inexplicable eagerness. I wondered what Kaori would choose to wear that night. Would it be a floor-length gown? A barely-there dress? Every time I though about her dress, I would get so aroused that I had to either jack off or take a cold shower of arctic proportions.

My attire required much less thought than Kaori's though. A tuxedo, expensive shoes and diamond cufflinks, much the same as every other man there.

The other day, I had had dinner with Mitsukuni. He had asked about the incident with Chantelle – wow, the college grapevine sure was efficient – and asked about my date for his party.

I had answered with a noncommittal tone. Although Mitsukuni and I were close, I didn't want to let anyone know what I thought about Kaori until I was sure myself… and therein lay the problem. I had absolutely no idea what I felt for Kaori. I had briefly entertained the notion that it might be love, but had almost immediately rejected the idea. How could I possibly be in love with Kaori when we had not even known each other for that long?

I sighed. It seemed that since I had no idea what I felt for Kaori, I would just have to hang out with her until I knew… if she would have me. Well, at least that was the excuse that I kept telling myself. With any other girl, her approval and delight could be taken for granted and discounted as a factor, but with Kaori… she just kept me guessing. She was so different from all the other girls I had ever known that it was rather disconcerting… I was swimming in uncharted waters here.

Uncharted waters… was that where her appeal lay? That she was simply a new experience, unusual and unorthodox? If so, if I proved that she was just like the other girls by seducing her, would she lose her allure and let me return to mu normal life?

Well, there was only one way to prove my hypothesis. I began making plans to seduce her into my bed, starting Saturday night.

_Yup so that's my fifth chapter! I shall be typing out all my stories straight from now on since I realized when doing my one-shots that it's actually not that bad! Haha. _

_Yes another thing, sorry if I confused you guys when I changed my story's name. I decided that College ought to be the name of the saga, not the story haha. I realize now that I should have put a lot more effort into thinking of the technicalities of my story, and I hope that you guys are not all utterly disgusted with me, but I'm very inexperienced and I hope you can bear with me. _

_Right the usual, please R&R!_


	7. Chapter 6

**Mori's POV**

On Saturday, I put my plan into action. I knew that what I normally did and wore was enough to send most girls into a screaming frenzy. But Kaori was not like most girls and seemed impervious to my charm. So I had to up my game.

I went to get a haircut. It cost me 20,000 yen but I felt it was all right. After going home, I showered and put on my finest Armani suit. Although it disgusted me, women loved cologne, so I sprayed some on myself.

As I eyed myself critically in the mirror, I had to admit that I looked good. With everything in place, I drove my new Mercedes convertible to her dorm. Well, I wasn't able to go all the way to the driveway, so I parked nearby and walked in.

As I made my way to Kaori's dorm, girls who were walking around and saw me swooned and stared. Some of the bolder ones tried to chat me up.

Just as I was almost at Kaori's dorm room, Chantelle appeared, as if out of thin air. "Takashi, darling," she purred, resting her manicured fingernails against my chest in a move that was obviously practiced. "Good evening, Chantelle," I said politely, trying to make more disgust for her less obvious. I had apparently succeeded, or else she was just too self-centred to notice.

"So, baby, I missed you," she said in what was supposed to be a seductive tone, but it did nothing to me. "I especially missed you in bed," she said, licking her lips. I eyed her with distaste. Her movements were totally perfect, smooth, practiced, choreographed, and… fake. Chantelle was a fake. "Is that so," I said, disinterested. "I'm flattered. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go."

Chantelle tittered nervously. "Oh, honey. You don't need to lower yourself to such a low standard that you have to take Kaori to the party." She sneered when she said Kaori's name. "I mean… I could go with you," she said, shifting closer to me so that I had a perfect view down her shirt.

"Thanks for the kind offer, Chantelle, but I always honour my promises." With that parting shot, I walked away, leaving her gaping angrily at me.

I knocked on Kaori's door. She opened it slowly, and stood in the doorway, a nervous smile on her face. I knew I should compliment her to put her at ease, but I could only gawk. As clichéd as it sounded, she had literally taken my breath away.

I was literally reduced to a drooling idiot by Kaori. She looked so ethereal. She wore a strapless black dress that stopped right above her knee. Her heels made her legs look so beautiful, and her hair was swept back into a lazy bun. Loose strands framed her face. I grimaced. It appeared my little 'friend' was also happy to see her… maybe not so little anymore though.

She took my grimace wrongly, however, and the shy smile on her face dimmed slightly, before she covered it up again. "No, no no," I hastened to assure her. "You look lovely, Kaori. Really."

She gifted me with a smile, and took my hand. Together, we walked to the elevator lobby where we waited patiently for the elevator to come.

When we finally got out of the dorm – due to many, many girls squealing in jealousy over Kaori – I ushered her into my car. I had decided to take the BMW convertible tonight. It was a good car, and I enjoyed riding in it – and, okay, I wanted to impress Kaori.

I hadn't failed. When she saw the car, she grinned and exclaimed, "I always wanted to ride in one of these! This is so awesome!" I smiled at her indulgently. "Well, tonight you get to," I told her before I helped her into the car. She gave me a mock glare. "Just so you know, I'm not some weak female who requires this all the time." I smiled back at her, delighted that she could easily banter with me this way. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you, madame," I said teasingly.

We continued this teasing conversation all the way to the hotel. She gasped when I pulled up at the huge driveway, where there was a luxurious red carpet and many valets and other people milling around. Her eyes grew wide with awe.

I looked at her in surprise. Had she really never been to a place like this before? "Kaori?" I asked hesitantly. She looked at me, and schooled her features into a demure smile. "Yes, Mori-senpai?" she asked, a small smile on her lips.

I knew that she was probably still freaking out inside, and I decided to talk to her about it.

**Kaori's POV**

Holy shit! This was a freaking _palace_. How could Takashi-senpai be so nonchalant about it? I figured he was probably used to all of this…

I, on the other hand, was close to getting cardiac arrest, I was that shocked by the sheer decadence of the building alone. Fountains and beautiful plants decorated the driveway. Men and opulently dressed women were walking around, in and out of the hotel.

This was the type of place I used to drive past with my friends and we would all laugh and imagine ourselves inside, in beautiful ball gowns. We used to speak in false accents and wound up laughing so hard we had to pull over for fear that we would crash.

Now I was really here, really going in, and I was actually _invited _to. That was the most amazing thing. I had never expected to actually be invited to a big party held in a big hotel, hosted by a _Haninozuka _especially.

I snuck a glance at Takashi-senpai. He seemed totally at ease with the place, and he helped me out of the car courteously. The boys at my high school would never have done something like that. They would have expected me to climb out myself.

This was totally new to me. I was treading in foreign waters, and I had no idea what creatures lurked underneath the seemingly calm surface of the sea.

He tossed his car keys nonchalantly at the valet. "Don't scratch her," he warned, before walking into the hotel with me on his arm. I tried my best to glide gracefully, like the other women who were walking around.

I fidgeted self-consciously and toyed with my clutch. The outfit, which I had thought so beautiful, paled in comparison to all the other ladies who were here in the ballroom. Brilliant shining gowns, drizzled with jewels and sequins. I wasn't sure whether to be impressed at the quality and the price that the dresses must surely carry, or amused that their efforts to show each other up had resulted in this almost tasteless display of wealth in their choice of dress.

"Kaori! Hey girl! You look amazing, just like I knew you would!" Shana and Haruhi approaching me pulled me abruptly out of my reverie. Tamaki's arm was looped loosely around Haruhi's waist and he smiled at me charmingly.

I raised a brow. I could see why he had charmed so many girls when he was in high school, but to be honest it didn't really do much for me. It actually kind of gave me the creeps that there was a guy who could lavish so much praise and attention on me that I never knew what was genuine and what was just him spouting crap.

I smiled at Shana. Her bubbling confidence was rubbing off on me, making me feel more like myself in this unfamiliar environment. "Seriously? I don't think anyone would be able to notice me in this sea of bling – provided they weren't already blinded by all the light these diamonds are reflecting."

She laughed and told me sagely, "Ah, but didn't anyone tell you that less it more." I smiled at her. "I'll keep that in mind," I told her teasingly. She grinned, then stepped closer and whispered, "By the by, who is that hot dude in the glasses?"

Haruhi was unable to hide the shock from her face. "Kyoya-senpai? You're interested in Kyoya-senpai? Seriously?"

Shana shrugged. "Um… so? Is it such a big deal?"

It evidently was, if the expression on Haruhi's face was anything to go by.

Then the music started and we were directed to the table where we were supposed to sit. I found myself sitting right next to my sister and her boyfriend, Haninozuka-senpai.

"Good evening, Haninozuka-senpai," I said politely. Sakura laughed at me. "Kao-chan! I think you can dispense with the formalities around Mitsukuni. You hardly need it, you're going to be seeing so much of him that it will be tiresome!"

I arched a brow at that. If Sakura could say that with such confidence without being afraid that Haninozuka-senpai would up and run off due to sheer fright that she had staked her claim and was making it known to her family, then they must be very serious. My lips curved in a smile. It was nice to see my older sister so in love.

Haninozuka-senpai smiled at her. His eyes, when they rested on her, were full of love. I wanted someone to look at me that way too. I wasn't jealous of what my sister had, but I really wanted the same thing that she had. Did that make sense? Whatever.

He raised a bottle of champagne. "Well, would you like some?" he asked me, smiling. I blushed. "Oh… all right. Not to much though," I told him. Sakura laughed at me. "Kao-chan! It's alright to drink, you know," she told me.

I glared at her. "Well… I can't really hold my alcohol that well," I explained to Haninozuka-senpai. He smiled at me reassuringly. "I'll make sure you don't over-imbibe."

Still, I found my glass being filled up many, many times… either that or I had a magical glass that never emptied. Sakura and Haninozuka-senpai took turns filling my glass. It seemed almost co-ordinated, but I didn't suspect a thing, because – all right, I was already a little tipsy when I realised – and why would my sister do something like that to me?

By the time dinner ended, I was almost deliriously drunk. I managed to walk straight without any help from Mori-senpai, though.

We got into the car and he drove me home. I could barely focus on the conversation, so I just smiled and said some crap to agree with whatever he was saying. When we got back to the dorm, he helped me out… and then apparently the rest of the alcohol had caught up with me by then, because everything after that was a blur.

**Mori's POV**

I knew that Kaori was drunk, I had no idea she was _that _drunk. During the drive back to the dorm, I was half praying that she didn't throw up and half upset that Sakura and Mitsukuni had obviously planned something.

After Kaori had explained that she couldn't hold her alcohol that well, I had expected Mitsukuni to stop pouring champagne into her glass, but he and Sakura had just continued whenever they sensed that her glass was almost empty.

Being the type of person that she was, Kaori obviously felt obliged to finish it so as to not appear rude… becoming stone drunk in the process.

I almost wanted to applaud them… but why would they do something like that? They can't have wanted to do it simply to spite Kaori… she was Sakura's _sister_, for heaven's sake!

The reason became clear as soon as I dropped her off at her dorm building. As I stood politely next to her, with one hand in my pants pocket, she leaned against me, looking at me through hooded eyes.

"Takashi," she breathed seductively. That voice, which when Chantelle had used had inspired nothing but disgust and a fleeting sense of pity, seemed to send a message straight to my groin. I closed my eyes. She's drunk, she doesn't know what she's doing, I told myself.

Still, when she reached up to kiss me, I wanted to badly to forget that. "Kaori," I moaned, my eyes tightly closed, fighting for nobility and control. Her response was to lick all around my lips until I had no choice but to succumb to temptation and let her in.

When her tongue invaded my mouth, I could taste the champagne on her breath. It brought me abruptly back to my senses, like a cold shower.

I firmly set her aside. "Kaori… you're drunk. I can't do this," I told her firmly, trying to convince myself as much as her. She giggled. "No I'm not," she denied breathily, moving sensuously against my body.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. Why did she have to make being noble so bloody _hard_? I counted to ten and took a deep breath, trying to think of something else – anything, as long as it would keep me from ripping all her clothes off and fucking her right there against my car. In fact, the only thing that kept me from doing it was that that wasn't how I wanted things between us to happen. I didn't want our first time to be like that – in a public place where anyone could walk in on us at any moment. Besides, I knew that this wasn't Kaori, this was the alcohol ruling her actions, and if I took her now she would regret this in the morning, when the alcohol-induced fog in her mind dissipated and she was faced with the cold logic of what she had done.

"Kaori…" I groaned. "Stop it. I mean it."

She withdrew from me, her eyes going wide with horror. "You… don't want me!" she cried, her eyes tearing. I cursed inwardly. "No, Kaori, that's not true. But you're drunk. This isn't what going to happen."

It seemed to calm her slightly, though her eyes seemed to still be flooded with tears of rejection.

"Kaori…" I tried again, tried to convince her that she wasn't undesirable to me. She had the oddest look on her face, almost as if she was sick.

"Excuse me, Takashi," she said softly, right before she ran to the bushes and retched. I winced. I should have expected that. She had consumed so much alcohol… I would have been drunk as well. She really couldn't take her alcohol.

When she was finally done, she somehow managed to stumble back to her room and collapsed on the bed. I was following her to make sure she didn't injure herself or collapse along the way, of course. I felt reluctant to approach her though, not because I was afraid that she would throw up on me, but because I didn't want her memories of the night, fuzzy as they surely would be, to be any worse than necessary – and what could be worse than having your date witness you spewing your guts then collapsing?

As luck would have it, as soon as Kaori collapsed on her bed, Haruhi showed up with Tamaki. "Mori-senpai, how did it go!" she asked. I grimaced. Her sister got her dead drunk, on purpose I believe. You might wanna take care of her."

She nodded and entered the room after giving Tamaki a good night kiss. "I'll see you soon, honey," she whispered to him before closing the door on us.

What an evening… in more ways than one. I had to talk to Mitsukuni soon.

_Hey guys~! Sorry for the late update. ): This is my longest chapter yet and boy am I proud of it! It was rather eventful and the climax is approaching, whee~! Hope you enjoyed it. I'll start working on the next one soon. (:_


	8. Chapter 7

**Kaori's POV**

When I woke on Sunday morning, little jackhammers seemed to be tripping in my skull. I groaned as I turned from my stomach onto my back – a move I instantly regretted. Shafts of light pierced my eyes, blinding me.

What the hell was this? Was I dying of some mysterious illness? I was not able to ponder that for long though, as I became aware of the parched dryness of my throat. I slowly got up, being careful not to jar my throbbing head.

Still, when I rose fully, a wave of dizziness clouded my vision. Gasping, I leaned against the wall. When the dizziness cleared, I slowly began to make my way to the jug of water in the room.

I slowly began to pour the water into a cup once I finished my slow and painful journey to the jug of water. As I gulped the blessedly cool, sweet water down, Haruhi walked into the room.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" she said, looking surprised. "How do you feel?" she asked, concerned. "Haruhi… I'm dying," I croaked. She laughed unsympathetically at me. "Kaori! You're not dying," she said, tsk-ing at me. "How can you be so naïve?" she asked, laughingly.

I arched a brow. I would have come up with a suitably scathing comeback to that if my head hadn't been throbbing too hard for me to think of anything. "Then… what's wrong with me?" I asked impatiently.

"Hung over, is what you are," she told me. Hung over? But… that was totally impossible! Wasn't it? I had never gotten drunk before…

All of a sudden, it all came rushing back to me. I grimaced. The party… the absurd amount of alcohol I had consumed, trying to _seduce _Takashi-senpai, then spewing my guts in front of him. I couldn't stifle a groan.

While I was lost in my thoughts and recollections of the previous night, Haruhi had made me some coffee. "Drink it," she told me. "It will help ease the hangover. You might also want to try aspirin." I took it gratefully and gulped it down. The bitterness of it was like a slap, bringing me fully awake. I began digging around for some aspirin.

Haruhi grinned. "I think we ran out of aspirin when we both came down with fevers, so I went out to get some for you," she said, producing some from her bag. "I am forever in your debt," I told her as I tore open the packaging, pulled out a strip of the pills, took out two and put them in my mouth, before drinking it down with water in one gulp.

"Kaori… what you said just now… about dying… did you really not know that it was a hangover?" she asked curiously. I closed my eyes briefly and cursed silently. So my little secret had been found out. "Y-yeah," I said hesitantly. "I don't hold my alcohol very well, unsurprisingly, because I usually don't drink. I like to be in control, and the tipsiness is just… well." I grimaced. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to take a hot, blistering shower and then go apologize to Takashi-senpai for my horrible conduct last night." Definitely _not _on my list of things I want to do before I die, but it was a necessary task. I didn't want his opinion of me to get any worse. The fact that I had not thrown up on him was a small consolation.

As I stood in the shower, letting the strong jets of water pound at my body, the last traces of the alcohol-induced fog faded from my mind. It was time for some serious reflection.

Why had I become so drunk last night? I knew that Sakura and Hani had probably had something to do with it, but I could have stopped drinking the champagne. Was it because I had some hidden drunkard streak in me? God, I hoped not. I decided that in the future I would stay far, far away from any form of alcohol – for consumption, that is. I was still minoring in chemistry and felt sure I would need to use alcohol often in that field.

After I finished my shower, I donned a shirt and a pair of jeans – my usual attire. It was rare that I had an occasion to dress up for. I sighed and walked out the door, my facial expression not betraying my wish to just hide in my dorm forever.

I didn't go far before Chantelle, in her full skanky attire of a miniskirt and barely-there tank top, accosted me. "You _bitch_!" she hissed at me angrily. "How _dare _you steal Takashi from me! I'm going to have my revenge on you and your other musketeers!" she declared dramatically.

Horribly aware that a small crowd was gathering around us and gawking unabashedly at the scene that Chantelle surely must be causing, I tried to get her to calm down by informing her that people were staring. However, that only made her even angrier. "You're mocking me!" she cried out, fury twisting her features into a horrible mask.

I raised a brow. Despite my efforts to not get angry at her baseless and rather delusional claims, I found my temper rising. "Oh, am I?" I drawled in a deceptively casual tone, raising a brow. "If you would care to look around you for once, I am sure you will find that I am not lying to you about the watching audience."

For once, she followed my words and looked around. When she saw that people were, indeed, staring, she got even angrier, and somehow she managed to direct all her anger at me. "This is all your fault!" she all but screeched at me.

Unable to be patient with her for even a second longer, I simply walked away from her, leaving her and at least a dozen other people to gawk at my departing back.

As luck would have it, I found Takashi-senpai not far away. I sighed. As much as I would have liked to simply walk away and never talk to him ever again, I had to apologize to him for my disgraceful behaviour last night, and leave the decision in his hands as to whether or not he wanted to let it go.

So, I girded my loins and steeled myself for major embarrassment before approaching him and calling out to him.

**Mori's POV**

I had spent the entire morning looking for Kaori, to assure her that what she had done last night was not something that she had to be ashamed of, but I had run into Haruhi while she was on her way to the college pharmacy and she had told me that Kaori was still sleeping.

Since then, I had been hanging around the campus, trying to avoid the groups of giggling girls who would surely be on me like diseases on a rat since I had broken up with Chantelle and had not officially gone out with Kaori yet.

"Takashi-senpai!" The sound of Kaori's voice calling to me from somewhere behind me was probably the most welcome thing I had heard all morning.

I turned. "Good morning, Kaori," I greeted her. "Are you feeling better?" I inquired, concerned. She had looked pretty bad last night. She smiled shyly and nodded.

"Takashi-senpai-" she began, at the same time that I said, "Kaori." She blushed deeply. "You go first," she told me. "No, you go first," I insisted politely. "Ladies first, right?"

She took a deep, fortifying breath before continuing. "I just wanted to apologize for my disgraceful behaviour last night. I was really drunk and I apologize for… " She trailed off, as if trying to find the guts to say what she wanted to. "Trying to seduce you, before spewing my guts," she said in a small voice.

I had to restrain myself to keep from bursting out in laughter. Here I wanted to tell her that it was not an issue and she was apologizing to me like she had committed a heinous crime? The irony of it was not lost to me.

Unable to restrain myself from smiling with amusement, I told her, "It's not a big deal… I've suffered through worse."

She peeked up at me through long eyelashes, saw me smiling and her cheeks flared crimson. "You're laughing at me!" she accused. "What? No… no, I'm not!" I insisted vehemently. "It's just… I was looking for you all morning to tell you that last night didn't diminish my opinion of you in any way," I assured her.

She appeared to not believe me that much. "Really?" she asked shyly. "Absolutely," I told her honestly. "Also…" I said, before taking a deep breath and taking the plunge.

"Will you go out with me? On a real date, that is. It shouldn't be that much of a stretch… I mean, you tried to seduce me last night," I said with a crooked grin. I immediately knew that was the wrong thing to say when her cheeks bloomed with colour and her eyes widened with anger.

"Takashi-senpai!" she cried, upset. I was immediately contrite and told her, "I'm sorry, really I am! But seriously though, would you like to go out tonight? It doesn't have to be formal, we can just go grab a bit at MacDonalds," I hastened to assure her when a look of dread entered her eyes.

She seemed a lot more at ease when I told her that. "Um… okay," she said shyly, as she smiled at me.

"Alright, I'll be at the lobby of your dorm at seven, okay?" I told her. "See you then," I said, as I strode away. I sighed. As anticipated, just from being around her, I had a half-erection which had just become a full and very uncomfortable erection when she smiled.

**Kaori's POV**

I watched Takashi-senpai's departing back almost incredulously. Was it possible to be so forgiving that he didn't mind me almost throwing up on him? Still… a smile quirked my lips. I was going on a date with him! Tonight! I had to go back and tell Haruhi and Shana.

As I walked back, however, unpleasant thoughts wormed into my mind. Was it possible I was really falling in love with him? If it was, I was probably in for a rough time… after all, this _was _the infamous Takashi Morinozuka we were talking about… and he was infamous for breaking girls' hearts.

Thinking about it, however, wasn't going to solve any problems. So, I decided to just enjoy my first date-date, and just see how things went.

Yes, I had never been on a real date. I had been on study dates and group dates, but never one-on-one dates… which was probably not so good, if my first date was with Takashi-senpai. He probably expected all his dates to come experienced and with an extensive knowledge of the playing field, and not with starry-eyed expectations.

I sighed. It was time to go look for Shana and Haruhi. I desperately needed their advice on this matter.

"Seriously? _Mori-senpai_ asked you out?" Haruhi exclaimed incredulously, her eyes wide. "No, it wasn't Takashi-senpai. It was a holographic image of him, and it was all created by Chantelle to show that she was smart enough to create something like that and to get back at me for 'stealing' Takashi-senpai from her," I snapped sarcastically.

Shana laughed at me. "Girl, chill!" she admonished. "Seriously, though, it's pretty surprising, what with you so against his dating habits and all." I glared at her. "You're actually _justifying _Haruhi's very insulting tone of voice?" I said icily, my brow arched. She laughed again. "No, I'm not. Now did you want to ask us for advice or bicker about random stuff." Just like that, she managed to bring the conversation back to its original topic.

"Right, right," I said. "Yes. What the hell am I supposed to do on a date!' I exclaimed, panicked. "How the hell am I supposed to know! I've never actually been on a date," I almost shrieked. Haruhi rolled her eyes at me. "I'm sure you're exaggerating. Seriously? Never been on a date?" she said sceptically. "It's true," I said, unable to fully hide the panic from my voice.

Shana rolled her eyes. "Well, just act like yourself you idiot," she told me in a disinterested voice. "There has to be a reason why he asked you out right? It means he likes you and wants to spend more time with you! So, just act natural," she told me.

"Oh," I said in a small voice. "It's that simple?" I asked disbelievingly. She rolled her eyes. "Yeah… did you think it was some very intricate mating ritual?" she said, looking at me with her 'get real' look.

Well, this was a waste of time and effort. I wondered how my image of dating had gotten so skewered. I probably should have gone on a one-on-one date in the past few years in high school… after Shana's reassurances, I felt much more confident about the date. Maybe my inexperience wouldn't matter that much after all, I thought optimistically.

With that settled, I decided to enjoy the rest of my day before going on my date with Takashi-senpai.

**Mori's POV**

I was going on a _date _with Kaori! The excitement thrummed in my head like I was some high school kid going on his first date, yet nothing could be farther from the truth… why?

For the first time in a long while, I actually felt anticipation for the date itself, and not what I had always known would come after, although that was important now too. Still, it was the first time I had ever relished spending time with a girl – and not just for sex.

Although this had started as a plan to get Kaori in my bed, and then out of my mind, where she now seemed to perpetually reside, it had quickly evolved into a real plan to get her in my bed _and _my life. For some reason, I _wanted _to spend 'quality' time with her, which with previous girlfriends had been seen as something just necessary to keep them happy and willing to have sex. In my experience, girls' willingness to have sex was always related to their happiness with the candidate for the sex. Quite silly, I had always felt.

I needed to ask Mitsukuni what that meant. I sighed. Hopefully it wasn't love and he wouldn't gloat about it.

I was wrong on both counts. He confirmed that I was in love and gloated about it. His specific words were "Looks like the 'infallible' Takashi Morinozuka has fallen into love!"

I grimaced. How could this be possible? Still… I had to admit that the idea wasn't repulsive… in fact, it was rather intriguing. Kaori certainly was different from the other girls that I had known before… maybe it was a good idea to see how it went.

_Hey guys(: Yup I've finished Chapter 7! Hope you liked it. (: Please R&R! I've only gotten 1 review for the previous chapter and it bruised my ego a little bit. ): So yup! Please review. Thanks~ 3_


	9. Chapter 8

**Kaori's POV**

"Kaori… you're really wearing that?" Haruhi asked sceptically. I guess there _was _some justification in that, since I was wearing a pair of jeans, a Little Miss Happy shirt and Converse sneakers. "Yeah," I told her nonchalantly. "Takashi-senpai told me that anything is fine. We're not going off-campus."

Haruhi still looked doubtful, but she stopped asking. "Well… he's so smitten with her I doubt he would mind if she showed up in a potato sack," she muttered to Shana who laughed at that. Shana had taken to spending a lot of time with us, only going back to her dorm room to sleep, as Chantelle was waiting to pounce on her all the time.

Just then, a knock was heard on the door of the room. "Ooh that's Mori-senpai!" Haruhi exclaimed, hurrying to the door. I rolled my eyes. Why were they so excited about my date with Takashi-senpai anyway? "Guys! Chill!" I hissed as I beat Haruhi to the door.

"Hi Takashi-senpai," I greeted when I opened the door. He smiled at me. "Hello, Kaori. Ready to go?" he asked.

As we walked off, I glared at Haruhi and Shana, daring them to do anything that could potentially embarrass any of us – but especially me. I loved them but they _could _act like weird chaperones sometimes. I was sure they did it on purpose.

"So… where are we going?" I asked cheerfully. He smiled at me. "How does takeout sound?" he asked. "I know there have been some people-" he coughed at that and continued, "who have been harassing you because you went to that party with me."

I grinned at him. I _had _been dreading running into Chantelle while with Takashi-senpai. "Are you psychic?" I asked playfully. He smiled back. "Only a little," he told me jokingly.

"Do you mind eating in my room?" he asked. "I have a single so we don't have to worry about any roommates." I smiled at him. "No problem."

With that, we headed over to his dorm.

**Mori's POV**

I couldn't believe how well my plan had worked. With her all alone with me in my room, I had an excellent shot of getting her in my bed before the night ended.

I called Pizza Hut and asked them to deliver to my dorm room. In between the time that I called and the time that they delivered, Kaori and I just sat and chatted. I don't think I had ever chatted with a girl like this before, in a purely platonic way. Well, what I felt for her definitely wasn't platonic, yet I felt no resentment at having to spend time chatting with her – I was actually enjoying myself.

When the pizza came, I was sure that she was going to pick at it before selecting a slice that had the least cheese and pepperoni on it so that she wouldn't take in too many calories. However, she selected a slice at random and dug in happily, her eyes closed in bliss, relishing the cheese and the pepperoni.

"Wow," I said in awe. Her eyes snapped open and she blushed. "Oh… I'm sorry, I know girls usually don't eat like I do… is it gross?" she asked, concerned. I smiled at her. "I like how you eat. The girls I used to go out with were all anorexic. They would never dream of eating pizza the way you do. Most of them only ate vegetables." And it was true. With all the other girls, I had had to change my diet slightly to accommodate theirs. I had a feeling that Kaori enjoyed food as much as I did.

After a satisfying dinner – the first one with a girl – I went around and sat next to her on the bed. "Um…" she said, looking uncertain. I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her gently.

When I finally lifted my head and stared into her eyes, the dazed look in them made me lower my head and kiss her again. When I felt her tongue timidly brush against my lower lip, seeking entry, I groaned and complied. I could do no other. I had wanted to take it slowly, to not scare her, but when I felt her tongue brush gently against mine I lost control and jammed my tongue into her mouth ruthlessly.

She pulled away from me abruptly. "Takashi-senpai… I think it's best that you know that I've never done this before," she said in a small voice. I gaped at her. "You're a virgin? Seriously?" I said incredulously. She blushed and nodded. I suddenly had a feeling that it was more than that. "Was that your first kiss?" I asked suspiciously. She blushed more and ducked her head.

I groaned and fell back on the bed. "Well I certainly made a muck of it," I muttered. Her head came up. "Oh, no, Takashi-senpai," she hastened to reassure me. "I enjoyed myself thoroughly." I smiled crookedly at her and pulled her down next to me. "Well, since I've taken your first kiss, I think you can stop calling me 'senpai' now."

She blushed. How was it that she could be so bold sometimes yet could also blush like a high school girl on her first date? She was a bundle of contradictions and I wanted to unravel the mysteries in her.

I pulled her closer to me and rested my forehead against hers. "Does the blush mean that you agree to stop calling me 'senpai'?" I asked teasingly before I went for another kiss.

This time, it was sweet and gentle – well, somewhat gentle. I didn't lose control like I had the last time, and she didn't pull away. Our tongues stroked each other in an age-old dance of love that was wildly intoxicating. My arms went round her back and hers clasped around my neck, bringing us closer to each other.

One hand moved to her front to clasp one breast and squeeze it gently, fondling and caressing it as much as I could with her clothes still on. We broke this kiss only because we needed air, which was gasped in erratically. I made to kiss her again, but she evaded me and sat up. "Takashi…" she started. I loved hearing her voice, the way she said my name.

She took a deep breath and started again. "Takashi, I really like you, and I really like making out with you, but I can tell where this is going. I'm not the kind of girl who would sleep with a guy on their first date, and I know that that is going to happen eventually, but can we maybe take it slowly?" When she finished, her head was bowed and her fingers were tugging at my bedspread gently. I could tell that she was nervous about my reaction to what she had said.

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her gently. "It's all right, Kaori. I respect you for that, really. And we won't go further than anything you're comfortable with. If I do anything that goes past what you feel you can handle just tell me and I won't do it," I told her, and I meant it. Although I had intended to have her in my bed tonight, I now knew that I would wait as long as it took to have her in my bed. It wasn't just that this was new to me, which it was. Every girl I had deigned acceptable enough to allow into my bed had willingly gone. She was the first one who had told me no, or at least not yet.

And I respected her for that. I suspected that by the end of the night I would have blue balls, but it wouldn't be the first time… just the first time in a long time. I could handle it. Really.

**Kaori's POV**

Takashi was an excellent kisser. I had almost not noticed that he was copping a feel, and all right, I admit that when I _did _realise what he was doing, I panicked and put a halt to it.

When I finished telling him a whole load of crap that basically meant I wasn't putting out tonight, I fully expected him to kick me out of the door with a hastily made-up excuse. I mean, that's what you would expect from a playboy, right?

However, he was more than understanding about it. I hoped he wasn't just faking it so that I wouldn't tell other girls that he was only interested in them for sex… but no, Takashi wasn't like that, right? Then again, how well did I know him?

My silent musings were interrupted when he kissed me again, gently. I felt relief and happiness flood through me when he did – it meant he probably didn't resent my misgivings about casual sex. Maybe that would change in some time, but since I was still a virgin, my rose-coloured glasses about sex and sexual acts remained on.

To me, sex was something that was only done with someone you loved, which meant that I could probably do it with Takashi, but I wasn't sure about how he felt about me. I wanted to only have sex with someone who loved me as wholeheartedly as I loved him. And as far as possible, I would maintain my virginity until the right man came along… and he was looking more and more like Takashi.

Still, until I was sure, it was probably wisest to abstain from making love with him… as much as it pained me. He was one fine male specimen.

We just talked and made out intermittently through the night. I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up in the middle of the night, still curled against him comfortably. He was fast asleep too, and although it went against my better judgement, I closed my eyes, snuggled against him and went to sleep.

**Mori's POV**

I hadn't intended to sleep with her - just sleep, nothing more. When she had fallen asleep, I had thought she looked so cute asleep that it would be a pity to wake her immediately and so I just watched her as she slept. Unknowingly, I had dozed off as well.

When I woke up, I knew I should be appalled and amazed at what had happened, but I couldn't muster up anything but the feeling of contentment that had me pulling her against me and burying my face in her hair – until I saw the time.

"Fuck!" I swore under my breath. I was going to be late for my first lecture if I didn't hurry! Reluctantly, I shook Kaori awake and gave her a good morning kiss. "Kaori… I love you, but if I don't hurry, I'm going to be late for my first lecture," I told her hastily.

She blinked drowsily before turning to look at the clock. "Shit! I'm going to be late too!" she exclaimed, before giving me a chaste kiss on the lips and dashing out the door, muttering to herself as she ran back to her dorm.

She was just so adorable, I thought, smiling to myself, as I prepared myself for my classes.

That was another first for me. Wow, the new experiences with Kaori were really building up! I had never had a girl deny me sex before – it was usually them who initiated the sex, neither had I spent the night with a girl without any sex – or with sex, for the matter. I always got them to go back after they had floated down from the post-orgasmic bliss. It had felt really good with Kaori, feeling her warmth against me all night, waking up to see her in my bed. All this could be attributed to the fact that I was, as Mitsukuni said, falling for her…

Still, what did I know about love and relationships? All of my previous girlfriends had only wanted to go out with me for the sex and the money and the prestige that came with being my girlfriend, and I had only wanted them for the easy sex. When it came to relationships like the one I seemed to be developing with Kaori, I had no experience.

It was galling to admit that I had to keep going to Mitsukuni for advice on this, as it was usually I who protected him, but there it was. In this matter, Mitsukuni had more experience than me, and I had to admit it.

I sighed and wondered when I could ask Kaori out again.

_Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I posted it slightly faster than usual because I got the best review ever recently! Oh, and another thing, for those who have reviewed and feel upset because I didn't reply, know that I really do read and cherish every review, and it really _is _motivating to know that someone appreciates my writing. (: So, please R&R!_


	10. Chapter 9

**Kaori's POV**

"Kaori, you hussy!" Shana exclaimed delightedly when I hurried into my dorm room after leaving Takashi's and hurrying over.

I grabbed my clothes from the closet and jumped into the bathroom. We were lucky enough to have our own bathroom, which made getting ready in the morning much easier.

As I hurriedly stripped and jumped into the shower, I yelled at Shana, "Don't call me a hussy! We didn't do anything!" I didn't know if she had heard me over the sound of the shower, but I wasn't exactly worried about that at the moment because I was frantically washing my hair and body.

"Shit, shit, shit," I swore under my breath as I hopped out of the shower cubicle and dried off hastily. I donned a white blouse and a pencil skirt that stopped right above my knee.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, Shana simply continued speaking. "If you didn't do anything with him, why didn't you come back last night?" she asked with a glint in her eye that meant she had me there.

I could barely hear her over the roar of the blow-dryer that I was waving over my hair, trying to dry as much hair as possible in that little bit of time. Haruhi and Shana, already ready for class, were sitting on Haruhi's bed watching me scramble around.

"We didn't have sex okay!" I all but shouted at her over the hair dryer. She rolled her eyes at me. "Of course you didn't. You sat in his dorm room and the two of you debated politically correct current issues," she said sarcastically. "Come on, we're your best friends, you should know better than to try and hide anything from us!" she exclaimed.

I put my blow dryer down, ran my comb one last time through my hair and started applying my makeup. I usually didn't apply much makeup; concealer, mascara and lip gloss were usually all I wore.

When I picked up my mascara wand and leaned in to apply it on my eyelashes, Shana glared at my reflection in the mirror. "Spill," Haruhi commanded. I rolled my eyes at her – as much as I could, considering that I _was _holding a stick with gunk on it very near my eye – and sighed.

"Fine," I capitulated with another gusty sigh. "We really didn't have sex, alright! We just made out, and talked a lot, then we fell asleep," I said. Shana looked bored. "_Bo-ring," _she said. Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Shana, you did pester her, you could at least be more polite," she chastised.

I applied concealer carefully and laughed. "Shana wouldn't be her if she didn't act like that," I said sarcastically. She glared at my reflection. "Shut up, Kaori," she snapped.

I began to apply my lip gloss, so I couldn't retaliate. When I was done, I gave myself a last once-over in the mirror before putting on my pumps and walking over to the door. "Let's go for class," I said, sighing.

If I had thought that Haruhi and Shana's reactions were bad, it was nothing compared to the mixed reactions of the other girls. Some were interested and friendly, asking me about Takashi in a way that seemed genuinely pleased that I was with him. Some came up to me asking if sex with him was as good as it was cracked up to be – a question to which I had no answer. There were a few girls who came up to me and told me with barely disguised hostility to stay away from Takashi as he 'deserved better than me'.

One girl came up to me and, eyes spitting fire, told me in no uncertain terms to back away from Takashi as he was hers and she didn't share, or else I would be sorry. Unsurprisingly, that girl was Chantelle.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted from having to fend off questions, congratulations and threats. When we finally got back to the privacy of the dorm room, I collapsed on my bed with a groan that was muffled in my pillow. "God, I never knew going on one measly date with Takashi would be so tiring," I complained.

Haruhi sat down on the bed opposite mine and said practically, "Well I'm sure it will die down soon. After all, they just see you as his newest thing. So try to tolerate it for the time being," she told me. Shana snorted. "I know one person who isn't going to calm down about it," she said. "Chantelle seems really upset," she told us, looking worried. "Who knows what that psychotic bitch will do?"

I groaned again. "Oh. My. God. I can't deal with this right now! I have to study!" I moaned, rubbing my temples. "I had no idea what the professor was saying today! How am I supposed to pass!"

Everything was falling apart, and I needed help putting it back together. And the only person I knew who could help me with that was… Takashi. I sighed. Why did everything come back to him? It was like fate was pushing me closer to him.

It seemed inevitable that I would go to him again. I picked up my phone and called him.

**Mori's POV**

All day, I had been thinking about Kaori, wondering if I should call her when classes ended for the day. I wanted to see her again, kiss her, talk to her. It sounded like a lame cliché, but when I was with her all my problems seemed to melt away, leaving me calm and mellow – a feeling I particularly enjoyed.

When I got her call, I had just entered my dorm room, and I fumbled for my phone with embarrassing haste. "Hello?" I said calmly into the phone – a deceptive calmness, for I was anything but. Anticipation, fear and a whole mix of other emotions swirled around inside me.

"Takashi!" she greeted chirpily. It took every ounce of control I possessed and then some to avoid squealing like a girl and bouncing exuberantly around the room. "Kaori! Hey, what's up?" I asked in a tone that I hoped was friendly without sounding overly excited about her call.

"Takashi… I hope you don't think I'm trying to make use of our relationship or anything…" she said nervously, before she became quiet for a moment. "Kaori?" I asked, wondering if the call had been cut off. "Um… I need some help with lessons… see, I don't really understand them," she confessed timidly. "So, if you could help me out… that would be awesome?" she finished in a small voice, as if mentally bracing herself for my immediate rejection and a mocking query as to what exactly she thought our relationship was that I would help her.

In fact, nothing could be further than the truth. I was delighted to have any excuse to see her, and I was delighted to help her with her work. None of the girls I had previously dated had even cared about their work – they were either heiresses and had no need to study anyway, or were acing their courses with little to no effort. It was pleasant, being able to do this with Kaori, like a normal couple.

Kaori felt… genuine. She didn't feel like she was only dating me because of my reputation and my family background… something that was, admittedly, one of my largest draws. I had overheard girls talking about how 'dreamy' and 'cool' I was, and also how awesome it would be to go out with a Morinozuka. In all honesty, their swooning over me was a giant pain in the ass. I couldn't even go to the pharmacy without having girls swarming over me, asking in worried tones if I was all right.

"Sure," I said, still trying not to sound over-excited… I didn't want to scare her off. "Is tomorrow night at seven fine? We'll meet in the library," I told her. "Yes, thanks!" she said cheerfully, before saying her goodbyes and hanging up.

Again, I had to work hard not to bounce around in glee. I wondered what it was about her that made her so attractive to me, and tempted me to do things that were so out of the ordinary? In one phone call alone, I had been tempted to make a fool out of myself at least three times.

And another thing – what relationship were we in? Were we dating? Just friends with benefits? What?

The questions plagued me relentlessly as I tossed and turned in bed that night. What did Kaori mean to me, and what did I mean to her? Would she accept me with my past reputation and all the jealousy that came with being with me? All the other girls had relished it, but Kaori was different, and I knew it. She would hate all the other girls giving her hateful stares, coming up to her and asking enviously what it was like being my girlfriend.

For the first time, I regretted my past reputation – it might stand between me and the first girl I had ever felt serious about. Then again, maybe I was under-estimating Kaori. I was sure she would be able to handle all the girls.

Reassured, I finally went to sleep.

**Kaori's POV**

The whole day passed relatively uneventfully, except that the mantra "I'm going to see Takashi tonight! Yayy!" kept repeating in the back of my head. Try as I might, I was unable to forget that I was going to see him that night. The fact that it was a study date didn't make it any less appealing. In fact, it just increased his appeal. After all, not many guys would agree to tutor their girlfriends… in a purely platonic way, I hoped.

When classes finally ended for the day, it was six-thirty and I had half an hour to get to the library. "Crap!" I swore as I ran into the room, flinging whatever I was holding onto my bed as I dashed for my clothes before ducking into the shower.

"Stupid professor," I grumbled to Shana and Haruhi. "Why can't he keep his long rambly lectures to the point? I doubt anyone needs to know about the things they're doing about the traffic conditions outside his home."

After taking a record shower, I hastily blow-dried my hair, combed it out, grabbed all the notes I needed, dumped them in my bag with a pen, a notebook and sticky notes, slapped on some lip gloss, tugged on my socks and shoes, grabbed my jacket which was hanging my the door on the coat rack, and dashed out, with a quick "Bye!" flung over my shoulder at them.

When the library came into view, I checked my watch again. _Yes_. Five minutes to spare. I slowed to a walk and tried to calm my racing, out-of-control heart. It appeared I was just in time, for when I turned, Takashi was walking toward the library nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets. When he saw me, his face broke out in a grin and he lifted one hand and waved to me.

I waved back. When he approached me, we walked into the library together. I wanted to hold his hand, but I wasn't sure if that was appropriate. Were we in a relationship? Everyone seemed to think we were, but I wasn't sure yet. All that making out and stuff that night… surely it meant we were in a relationship?

Deciding to take a risk, I slipped my hand into his and held it hesitantly. After a second, his fingers folded around my hand. I peeked up at him from beneath my lashes to see his expression.

He looked perfectly calm and relaxed. I could have kicked myself to Mars at that moment. Here I was making such a big deal about the fact that we were holding hands when he had probably held hands with hundreds of girls. The only thing that saved me from utter humiliation was that he didn't know how excited I was.

As we walked into the library, I did my best to appear nonchalant about holding hands, although it was my first time holding hands in over a decade with anyone, much less a guy.

We walked over to an empty table and Takashi pulled out a chair for me. I blushed in embarrassment – no one had ever done something like that for me. It was no wonder he was so popular if he was always this gallant and chivalrous.

When he started explaining things to me, I marvelled at his intelligence. He managed to break everything down so that it became incredibly easy to understand. He was incredibly patient with me too, never snapping at me even though I sometimes didn't get what he said.

When we walked out of the library, I fully expected that he would just walk off and leave me to go back to my dorm room myself, but he took my hand and walked me all the way to the dorm building, only leaving at the lobby.

I went upstairs happy and in a blissful fog of – something pleasant. I wasn't sure what it was but I really wanted to feel it more often.

**Mori's POV**

I watched her wave and disappear into the lift before turning and walking off, my mind replaying the events of the evening. The lectures today had ended early, leaving me with extra free time.

Without the lectures to distract me, I found myself thinking about the date with Kaori, almost like a love-struck first-year student. I was rather appalled at how I was reacting to Kaori, but there it was. If this was love, it was surely a very draining emotion to feel – the painful anticipation when one was going to meet with the person they loved, the feeling when one was spending time with that person that they never wanted it to end, and the regret after it ended, the almost resentful feeling of _why can't it last longer?_

As I walked back to my dorm, I remembered how it felt having Kaori's hand in mine and had to restrain myself from leaping up and down and cuddling that hand to my face like some idiot in one of those anime shows that Tamaki enjoyed so much… you'd think they had comics and cartoons in France.

When she had hesitantly slipped her hand in mine, I had been stunned. I had just bee thinking about doing the same thing, but that she had gotten the guts to do it before I did was surprising, to say the least.

Still, the feeling of her hand in mine… it was… different, somehow. It wasn't that I had never held hands with a girl before; on the contrary, I had done so many times in the past, so many that usually it was no big deal for me. However, this time was different, somehow. When our hands had touched, it had been like a spark of electricity had flown from her hand into mine. It had taken every ounce of self-control I possessed to look nonchalant about it. I sighed. Love was a serious emotion, indeed.

I decided that I would tell Kaori how I felt about her, as soon as possible. Even if she didn't return my feelings, it would be better than this horrible feeling of nervousness every time I saw her or thought about her. Did she return my feelings? If I knew for certain, I could either put her out of my mind for good or be a happy man.

I decided on the coming Saturday. I knew a cosy Italian restaurant just off campus that I could take her to. I hoped she liked Italian.

With a definite plan, I slept a lot better tonight than I had last night, tossing and turning while thinking about Kaori – an odd thing for me to do. Then again, nothing about this situation was normal. Maybe that's why I was having problems navigating around the jungle that was our relationship. Whatever it was, I had zero experience despite having numerous conquests under my belt – literally.

_Hey guys, sorry for the late update! 1 more chapter and then the epilogue and I'm done, whee!~ And I can start on the next one! Heheh, the pairing for that one will only be revealed in the next chapter or the epilogue – depends on what I feel like! ^^ Yup, hope you enjoy, please R&R!_


	11. Chapter 10

**Kaori's POV**

I had to tell him. The thought surfaced in my mind the moment I woke up the next day, and I realized that I did love him, and that I had to tell him. Even if he didn't return my feelings at least he would know. And it seemed that chances had to be taken here. I had never been a big fan of taking chances, but I knew that I had to, and so I would.

I decided that I would tell him on our next date – there would be another date, right? After all, we had already held hands and made out, and that was what people who loved each other did right? As I lay in bed, my teeth worrying my lower lip, I tried to convince myself that it was all right, that he would love me too, and that everything would be fine. Still, the fear of rejection snaked into my mind insidiously.

Still, I would tell him. With the decision made, I got up and prepared for my classes.

During lunch, I got a call from him. Excitement at the thought of speaking to him thrummed in my veins, solidifying my resolve that I had to tell him. "Hello?" I said into the phone. His voice, calm and collected, came back. "Hello, Kaori," he greeted. "Would you like to go out this Saturday?" he asked. "Sure," I replied gaily. "Where and when?" "I'll pick you up at seven," he told me. "Do you like Italian?" I loved Italian food. I told him so and we said our goodbyes.

After that, the fact that I was going to meet him soon for a date was never far from the front of my mind. It was a wonder how I could get through university if I kept thinking about him like a lovesick fool.

Still, lovesick fool that I was, in every spare moment I had till Saturday, I thought and fantasized about Saturday night. Would he make his confession? That he loved me too and then we'd go back to his room and have wild monkey sex? I knew it was probably really bad of me to think about having sex with Takashi… after all, I was sure no one thought about having sex with people, even people they loved, every spare minute they had.

Shana and Haruhi had noticed too, that I was distracted and seemed to be in a cheery mood all the time. I rarely snapped at them and was almost never sarcastic – a first for me.

It didn't take them long to figure out, then the teasing began. They ragged me mercilessly about falling for Takashi, but I was so excited I couldn't be bothered to retaliate. On some level, I wondered why I was so excited – could it be because of a sixth sense?

Nevertheless, when Saturday morning finally arrived, I woke up at six in the morning, excited beyond belief. It was so bad that I had to go running to distract myself – something I rarely did nowadays. I ran long and hard, and when I came back to the dorm room, Haruhi was barely awake. She mumbled incoherently at me, and I gasped a "Good morning" to her before stumbling into the shower.

But though I was so breathless and tired that I could barely stand on my feet, I was still thinking about the date tonight. Seven o'clock. Seven o'clock. It repeated in my mind, over and over again, like a mantra, like the magic hour.

Throughout the entire day, I was practically bouncing around with anticipation and excitement. When five o'clock finally arrived, I showered, carefully selected my clothes and applied makeup with the help of Shana and Haruhi, who was surprisingly good at this, considering she had spent the last few years cross-dressing.

When seven o'clock finally arrived, I thought I would faint. I was practically dizzy from the excitement.

He knocked on the door right on time. I thought I would die from hyperventilation, but I calmly opened the door and smiled shyly at him.

"Good evening," he said to me, offering his arm to me. I wrapped my hand shyly around it and walked with him. "So… where are we going?" I asked him. He smiled at me enigmatically. "It's a nice Italian place I know nearby," was all he told me.

When he finally got there, he told the waiter that he had made a reservation and we were quickly led to our table. It was very romantic; dim candlelight, a small table in a corner that gave the feeling of intimacy and privacy, and Takashi close to me.

After we had ordered, I fisted my hands in my skirt and took a deep breath. "Takashi… there's something I have to tell you." At the same time, he told me, "Kaori… there's something I need to tell you." I blushed. "Uh… you go first," he told me. "Ladies first," he said chivalrously.

I took a deep breath. This was it. It was do or die time. "Takashi… I… love you," I blurted out with my eyes scrunched tightly closed in nervousness. He said nothing. When I opened my eyes slowly, I saw that he was staring at me in shock. "Really?" he breathed, as if he couldn't believe what I was saying. I nodded. "Well… what was it you wanted to tell me?" I prompted him.

**Mori's POV**

She loved me. I couldn't believe it. Here I was, all set up for disappointment, and _she loved me_. I wanted to shout with excitement. I wanted to run to the top of Tokyo Tower and scream that she loved me. Most of all, I wanted to drag her somewhere and make mad, passionate love to her.

I was so overwhelmed by her confession that I almost didn't hear her prompting me to tell her what I had wanted to tell her. I was only struck out of my happy daze when uncertainty darkened her gaze.

"Oh," I said, embarrassed at spacing out on a date. "I… just wanted to tell you that… I love you too."

Her cheeks suffused with colour. "Really?" she breathed, thrilled. Her eyes sparkled with happiness. At that moment, I knew that I would do anything, say anything, to keep her looking like that. It should have been worrisome to me, that I would be so eager to please a single person, but instead I just felt a deep satisfaction at being able to put that expression on her face, and anticipation at the prospect that I would be able to see that expression on her face.

"Really," I confirmed. It was the first time I had ever said that to a girl – well, a girl I wasn't related to, anyway. Still, I was sure it was going to go down in the Top Book of Takashi Morinozuka's First Experiences – right next to winning the national kendo championship the first time.

Just then, the food started coming, and we spent the whole dinner chatting, just enjoying each other's company and being in love. It probably sounded stupid, but there it was.

When the dessert came – tiramisu, ironically – she squealed and dug in with relish. "How did you know I love tiramisu?" she asked. Well, that was easy. I remembered the first hard-on I had had over her. I grinned. "Remember that time I had lunch with you and your friends?" I asked. She nodded, her forehead crinkling in the most adorable manner. "Well, you ate that tiny little piece of lousy tiramisu with such joy. I knew you had to love tiramisu," I told her.

She just about melted in her seat. "Aww…" she said, her eyes almost misting over. Then she dug in and I had to grip the edges of my seat in order to not throw her on the table. I sighed and wondered if this instant hard-on thing would ever go away. I didn't really care.

When she finished her portion of the tiramisu, she licked her lips sexily and smiled at me. "Well, I'm done," she said sultrily. I stiffened. That was a proposition if I had ever seen one. I hastily asked for the bill, and when it gave I merely gave it a cursory glance before signing.

The moment my credit card was returned to me, I kept it and took her out of the restaurant. We quickly got into the car and I started driving. I don't know how I managed to drive within the speed limit when everything in me wanted to speed back to the dorm and have her.

She wasn't helping matters either, by sitting in the car, looking slightly fearful and anticipatory and in general, all too sexy.

By the time we finally got back to my dorm room, I was basically panting with lust for her. I had never felt that way before; sex had always been in my control. I had never _needed _it, I had only wanted it. But with Kaori… it had never been in question.

**Normal POV**

_Heh sorry guys… I know you're all getting hot and excited now along with Mori and Kaori! But yeah. It's in normal POV because I think being in normal POV makes it seem fuller, somehow. So, yup. (:_

As he backed her closer to the bed, all the while kissing her deeply, she knew she should protest against what was inevitably going to happen. After all, they had only started going out about a week or two ago…

But her attempt at reasoning things out didn't work. He was kissing her too skillfully, touching her in all the right places, and in general making sure she couldn't think at all.

With no other path left to her, Kaori hesitantly began to kiss him back, and she wrapped her arms around his waist in an effort to be closer to him. Tighter and tighter her arms wound around him, but it still wasn't close enough.

Desperately, she broke the kiss to gasp out pleadingly, "Takashi… please," yet she had no idea what it was that she wanted – needed, so desperately. They collapsed onto the bed, with him still on top of her, and he immediately reared up over her, gasping. "Too fast," he groaned.

Takashi was astounded by the way that her unskilled and innocent mouth had managed to arouse him to the point where control just seemed out of reach. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, his fingers clenching around the bed sheets, straining for control, so as to not scare her. Damn, it was hard. It was made even more so by Kaori moaning and squirming under him.

When he was sure that his control was firmly in place, he began to kiss her again. His tongue probed gently against her lower lip, seeking entrance. She opened her mouth to him with no resistance. He swept his tongue into her mouth, imitating the mating ritual that would inevitably follow.

As his tongue was doing a slow, sure search of her mouth, his hands found another great treasure – her breasts. He quickly undid all the buttons on her blouse and stripped it away from her before tossing it to an unknown region of the room. Her bra soon followed, and he was finally rewarded with the sight of her bared breasts. They were soft and full, and as Takashi filled his hands with them, the nipples hardened against his palm, making him want to swoon.

With one last kiss to her mouth, he left and descended. He kissed along her neck, then her collarbone, then he finally reached her breasts. He took one into his mouth and sucked on it gently, making sure not to scare her.

Her flesh tasted so good and warm, so unlike any he'd ever tasted. Though he'd been with countless women, he couldn't remember any of them tasting as sweet as Kaori. He wanted to be able to taste this for the rest of his life.

The assault on her senses was too much for Kaori. Her hands grasped at his still almost clothed body, and the feeling of her fingers sliding against his clothed body brought her back to her senses.

She pushed him away, gasping. He was looking at her like she was crazy, and perhaps she was, for pushing him away when all she wanted was for him to continue.

She kissed him chastely on the lips before beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt slowly, reveling in every inch of skin that she revealed. When she finally undid the last button, she slowly pushed the shirt off his shoulders. All the while, he sat still for her.

He was not hairy, but there was a definite amount of hair on him. A diamond-shaped patch of hair stretched from pec to pec, before trailing down his belly and into his pants suggestively.

As her fingers tangled in his chest hair, Takashi's hand caught hers and brought it away from him gently. She made a sound of protest, but he held firm. "No," he told her. "If you keep doing that, you're going to make me lose control."

Kaori's mouth fell open as she realized that he was holding on to his control by a fragile thread. While she had to admit, the thought of making Takashi lose control was intriguing, she knew she didn't wish for her first time to be a frenzied, hurried mating, and so she backed off.

It seemed they were in accordance, because he immediately returned to pleasuring her. His mouth returned to her breasts, and his hands began to remove her skirt.

His fingers fumbled, trying to find a way to remove the skirt. He was tempted to just rip it off her, but he knew it would probably frighten her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Besides, he was Morinozuka Takashi. He was known for his excellent lovemaking techniques and would take his time if it killed him. And it just might, he thought when he finally removed her skirt.

She was utter perfection. Her body was all but bared to him; the only barrier between his eyes and her beautiful body was the tiny scrap of lace that was her panties. He was so enthralled by the sight of her body, bared to him, that he just sat there staring for a moment.

When Kaori felt him stop touching her, she opened her eyes, which she had screwed shut due to the embarrassment and pleasure she felt at his touch as he removed each piece of her clothing. When she saw him staring at her, she started to feel a little uncomfortable and self-conscious, and moved to cover herself.

Takashi snapped back into awareness when he saw her blush and attempt to cover herself from him. "No," he whispered hoarsely, holding her hands away from her body. "Don't hide from me," he said, more coherently. "You're so beautiful."

Kaori wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. She had never thought of her body as particularly beautiful, but there had always been some parts of her body that she was uncomfortable with. Yet, with Takashi staring at her looking so enraptured, she couldn't seem to recall a single flaw. He made her feel beautiful.

When he bent his head to hers and began to kiss her with renewed vigor, she squirmed under him, filled to the brim with feelings she didn't understand. She felt so hot inside, like she would explode into a million tiny pieces if she didn't get relief, and the only person whom she knew could give her what she needed was Takashi.

"Takashi," she moaned, almost sobbing. "I need… I need…"

He raised his head and stared at her tenderly. "I know, my sweet," he whispered into her ear. "I know what you need, and I'm going to give it to you," he promised seductively. "Hurry," she moaned urgently, for she wasn't sure how much of this she was able to take.

He quickly undid his fly and pulled his pants down and off, before removing her last remaining piece of clothing. He slid his finger into her warmth to check her readiness and almost spent himself on the bed-sheets. She was so hot and tight and wet that he knew he had to get inside of her soon or he would embarrass himself.

He positioned himself above her and started to slide into her, the perfection almost more than he could bear. The perfection was what sent warning bells tingling in his head, and he realized that he was totally unprotected. Cursing silently, he withdrew gently and began to fumble in his bedside drawer for a condom.

When he finally located one, he started to tear away the wrapper, but Kaori glared at him through lust-glazed eyes. "No," she said fiercely. "Not this time, not the first time. I want to feel _you_, only you."

Takashi was only so strong. He succumbed to her wish gladly, tossing the condom away. He began to enter her again. She was so tight that he was gritting his teeth, trying not to shove himself into her with one stroke.

Kaori was frozen, drowning, insensate. Takashi was stretching her, and she felt uncomfortably full, yet somehow it wasn't enough. She needed more, but she didn't know how he would fit. She made a sound of panicked distress, and flexed around him, trying to fit more of him into her. "Shhh," Takashi said soothingly. "It's alright, just do it slowly," he advised. She flexed again, and he slid halfway into her. "You can take all of me, honey," he encouraged her through gritted teeth. "Come on, just one more time," he coaxed.

She flexed and suddenly he was buried in her to the hilt. She felt a burning sensation that dimmed the bright flame of passion. Takashi, still trying to control himself, still managed to soothe her and encourage her. "It's all right, babe," he told her. "The pain is only the first time round. It will never hurt again," he said soothingly. "The pain should be fading by now."

And it was. As the pain faded, it was replaced by pleasure and passion. When Kaori looked up at Takashi, she saw him with his eyes scrunched tightly closed, and his muscles tensed as he tried his best not to move so as to not compound her pain.

She pulled him close to her and kissed him gently. When he opened her eyes, she grinned at him. "Well, I see you've woken up from your nap," she teased him. He smiled back at her. "Wretch," he told her lovingly.

Then he started to move gently, being careful not to hurt her. She writhed under him, and he increased the speed and depth of his strokes, yet he never lost control. By this time, Kaori was too far gone to realize that he was just pleasuring her, without taking anything for himself.

Her climax hit her like a tidal wave, sweeping her away mercilessly. Her back arched helplessly, and her legs tightened around him. She barely heard herself crying out in ecstasy, as the pleasure-pain took her by surprise. It shattered her into a million pieces, the lava burning up her insides. When the huge wave of pleasure finally receded, she slumped against the bed.

Takashi couldn't wait anymore. Her climax had been so arousing to watch and feel. Her inner muscles had clenched so tightly around him, squeezing him. Now it was his turn, and the need was so great that he could barely stand it.

Kaori felt him moving over her and opened her eyes. The raw need twisting his face made her feel powerful and alluring, but she realized – "You haven't-"

He shook his head and raised her legs over his shoulders so that she was powerless to limit the depth of his thrusts. Then, he thrust into her to the hilt, all the way, again and again and again, yet it wasn't enough.

He went deep and fast, helplessly reaching for his climax, until he felt it approaching. It started somewhere in his toes and raced upwards to consume his body in its flames. When it was over, he slumped over her helplessly, too tired to move.

He was horribly afraid that he had fallen asleep, for when he woke up, his innate sense of time told him that about two hours had passed. When he lifted himself off Kaori, he saw that she had fallen asleep too. Well, at least he had put her to sleep.

He got up and got a washcloth to clean her. He grinned to himself. This was a first for him. He had never had sex without protection before, and he should be sweating bullets right now, but he found that he didn't really care. If Kaori got pregnant, he'd marry her. Marrying her seemed a good option, with or without a baby. He'd never contemplated marriage before. It had always seemed like something that was inevitable, but far in the future. Now he wanted to walk with Kaori down the aisle.

Kaori stirred when she felt him between her legs with a wet washcloth. "What are you doing?" she murmured quietly, too worn out to speak any louder. He smiled at her. "I'm cleaning you off, of course."

When he finished, he crawled back into the bed with her and held her close. "I've never had unprotected sex before," he told her quietly. She looked up at him, amazed. "Really?" she asked incredulously. He nodded. "It just never seemed worth it," he told her.

She seemed pleased by that. "Takashi? Is it like that all the time?" she asked. He thought about that for a moment before answering. "I don't know," he told her truthfully. "It's never been like that for me, but then I've never really liked any of the girls I've fucked."

She was quiet for a moment as she absorbed that. "So I guess that means we're dating?" she asked.

He chuckled in the dark. "Of course it does, love."

Content, she snuggled into him and fell asleep. Takashi looked down at her sleeping form and sighed in contentment. Did life get any better than this? The woman he loved was curled up by his side after amazing sex. He kissed her forehead and fell asleep too.

_ GAH I AM SO SORRY FOR THE SUPER LATE UPDATE! D: I was on holiday in Taiwan, which is why I kind of neglected Kaori and Mori. I hope you're not all super-pissed at me… Well, if it makes you feel any better, I decided to release my next pairing now! It's Kyoya and Shana, as if none of you already knew that, I think I dropped multiple hints in the story. Their story will be titled, "Off the Chain". Hope you enjoyed the lemon! ^^_


	12. Epilogue

_Six months later…_

**Kaori's POV**

"Ta-Takashi!" I gasped out, my back arching. More… more… the thought resonated in my mind, but I was unable to put it into words, for the need swamped my senses, rendering me unable to say a coherent word.

Fortunately, Takashi understood what I was trying to tell him without words, and lifted himself over me. With a deep, barely controlled kiss, he drove himself home. I gasped and arched into him. Close… so close… and then he thrust once, twice and I was coming, the now familiar burst of pleasure not any easier to bear. I distantly heard myself gasping and crying out, but I barely realised that I was making these noises.

Then the pleasure receded and the two of us slumped against each other tiredly. I hugged him close as we laboured for breath.

Suddenly, he shifted off me, and I felt abruptly bereft without his welcome weight on me. "Marry me," he said out of the semi-darkness. I felt the world drop under me. "What?" I exclaimed incredulously. Had he asked me to marry him? I scrambled into a sitting position so I could see him better, then peered at him suspiciously. "Is this some trick?" I demanded.

He sat up too, and pulled me into his embrace. "No, no trick," he assured me hastily. "Kaori… I really love you, and I want you to be mine."

I melted into his embrace. "Why now, all of a sudden?" I asked, though most of the heat had gone out of my tone. He shifted, seeming slightly uncomfortable.

"Well…" he hedged. "Hani and Sakura are now engaged," he began, "and it occurred to me that as long as you don't have my ring on your finger, you're still fair game to the many guys out there." He must have realised how stupid that sounded, because he immediately backed up. "I want the world to know that you're mine, Kaori," he told me, sounding all too much like a lost little boy.

It worked. I melted and hugged him close. "All right. But it'll have to be a long engagement. I want to finish college before getting married," I told him.

He immediately reached into the bedside drawer of his dorm room and pulled out a beautiful ring. It was a simple gold band with a square diamond in the middle, surrounded by multicoloured gems, like a rainbow.

It also happened to be the same one that I had ogled from afar the first long weekend since we'd become an item and gone to town together. "How did you get it after all this time?" I asked breathlessly, dazzled by its beauty, "I got it that weekend," he told me. "It's been there ever since," he said, gesturing at the bedside drawer. "I was just waiting for the right time to ask."

I kissed him and told him, "I think our new engagement deserves some celebration." He grinned at me. "Well, who am I to not give my new fiancée what she wants?" he said, before we fell back onto the bed.

Although I had never been a particularly devout person, I sent a silent prayer up to God, thanking him for giving me this wonderful man to love, and pleading with him to let us enjoy our lives together.

_Well, yup it's all finished! And I couldn't be more proud. I hope you guys enjoyed reading about Kaori and Mori's love story as much as I enjoyed creating it. _

_Also, when I began the story I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go with it, and I think it was reflected in the sometimes abrupt turns of my writing style and etc… this is my first fan fiction, and I really hope you guys didn't mind how amateur it must all have seemed. Now that I've ascertained what I want to do with the characters in this series of stories, I hope the rest of the story will be much better than this one. (: _

_I hope you all will continue to lend me your support, it really means the world to me to have fans who support my writing, and when I've written myself into a corner, it's the thought of you guys that helps me to find the strength not to just give up._

_Cheers!_

_Peachy Hikaru_


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